Taking a nap during the day can have good and bad consequences.
I am a huge lover of naps. I used to take one most days of the week for 1-2 hours. But over the last couple of years, I realized it was messing up my nighttime sleep if I took too long of a nap or did it too late in the day.
According to most research I have done, there are good and bad things that happen when we take naps.
Naps do have some good benefits including:
- reduced fatigue throughout the day
- Improving mood and performance
- Relaxation
- Improved memory
However, there are some drawbacks to taking naps including:
- Messing with your nighttime sleep
- Feeling groggy for the rest of the day
If you are to take a nap during the day, it is best to keep them short. It is recommended by the mayo clinic that they be kept to <30 minutes. Check out the website here for more information.
I personally will set my timer for 30 minutes because it will take about 5 minutes for me to relax enough to fall asleep. This 30 minutes is enough to combat my fatigue and not too much to keep me up at night.
I will usually do some meditation beforehand to help relax enough to fall asleep. Check out my blog post on meditation here.
It is also recommended to take a nap in the early afternoon. This way you will not mess up your nighttime routine.
I will usually take a nap starting between 1 or 2pm. This way I can get through the day and still sleep great a night.
Naps are also great if you did not have enough sleep the night before. There have been times, when my kids were babies for example, when I took longer naps because of a bad night sleep. I will admit, I think I napped most days when my kids were babies.
Taking a nap can have good and bad consequences, but it depends on several factors listed above. If you need a nap during the day, I recommend following the guidelines listed above.